Caster mounting



May 31, 1927- F. BAYER CASTER MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1923 May 31, 1927.

M. F: BAYER CASTER MOUNTING Fi1ed Jan. 18, 1923 2 Sheets-Shea; 2

MMwyjwawa Patented hi, lQLZ.

Uhlll ED STATES F. BAYER, O15 KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T SIMMONS COMPANY, OF

KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, A GOEPORATIGN OF DELAWARE.

CASTER MOUNTING.

Application filed January 18, 1923. Serial No. 613/104.

h lly in venl'ien has reference to casters of the type used on lfurniture and relates more particularly to the manner of attaching the caster to the article to be supported and also to locking mechanism for holding the caster against rotation.

'lhe principal objects of my invention are to provide an otlset mounting for the caster; to improve the connection of the caster with the supported article; to construct the device so that the caster turns more freely; to provide improved means for locking the caster against turning movement; and in general, to provide an improved caster wheel mounting which is simple and inexpensive and having advantages not present in struc tures of this character heretofore provided.

(in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top fragmentary view of a bed frame having casters mounted thereon in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 an enlarged side View ol the caster structure with a portion of the post to which it is attached shown in section;

Fig. 3 a top view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 1- a view partly in section on the line e-e of Fig. 2;

.ldig. 5 a side view showing the parts adjusted to lock the caster wheel against turning movement; and

Fig. 6 a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1-, with the locking lever in the raised position.

ltei'errin to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the main frame of the caster wheel mounting, which is :t'ormed one side with an uprigl'it tubular housing 2,,loored out as indicated at 3 to receive the stem l of the caster wheel hraclret 5, which latter has a pair of spaced arms which are swung later ally in the usual manner and have the caster wheel 6 mounted on the spindle 7 which e1:- tends between the outer ends of said arms. The caster wheel in thepresent construction is composed of a pair of stamped plates 8 which are secured together at their centers by the ferrule- 9 which torn'is the hearing to engage the spindle 7, and said plates are formed with peripheral curved flanges forming a semicircular seat around the wheel for a ruhloer the 12.

The bore 3 in the housing 2 terminates below the top oi? the housing as indicated by the dotted lines at 13, and the upper end of the housing is slotted indicated at it,

to receive the end of the lever which is pivoted on the pin 16. A ball 17 is interposed in the bore 3 between the upper end of the stem at and the pivoted end of the lever 15, which latter has a cam action against the ball 1'? for regulating the position or extent oi insertion of the stem l in the housing For this purpose the upper end of the lever 15 is formed with shallow recesses 18 and 19 a quart-er turn distance part, the former of which is closer to the pivotal axis or". the lever 15 so that when the lever 15 is in the position shown by dotted lines in Fl t, the recess 18 is brought above and engaged by the hall 17, thereby permitting the stern it to project into the housing 2 to a greater extent than when the lever 15 is in the full line position of Fig. and the hall engaged with the recess 19. Inasmuch as the weight of the article supported on the caster holds the upper end of the lever 15 in engagen'ient with the ball 17, the curvature of the seats 18 and 19 and the enlargement 2U therebetween serve to retain the lever 15 in eitheroi the two positions of adjustment.

In order to retain the stem 4 in the hearing 2 and permit axial movement thereof, any suitable means may be employed, as for example, the annular groove21 which is engaged by the inner end of the screw 22 secured in a threaded aperture in the wall oi? the housing 2, the groove 21 being of suljlicient width to permit the required axial movement oi the stem in the bearing for operation of the cam lever 15.

The bearing 2 is preferably formed at the lower end with a conical recess 23 and the upper end of the bracket 5 with a similar head entering said recess but suitably spaced therefrom so that the head 2% does notengage the recess in either position of adjustment.

At the, bottom of and extending around the recess is an annular flange 25 which projects over the upper extremity of the tire i2 01" the caster wheel shown in i igs, E2 and 5, and in proximity thereto so that when the lever 1.; is thrown to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 41., the housing 2 is forced downwardly on the stem by the weight oi? the article supported by the caster structure and the flange 25 brought into engagement with the tire 12?. so as to lock the caster wheel against rotation on the and 5, to insure sutticient strength at ti 3 spindle 7 and at the same time lockthc stem 4: against turning movement in the housing 52. The under surface of this flange 23 is preferablybev'eled slightly as shown so as to be substantially tangential to the surface of the tire 12 with which it comes in coat-act, thereby insuring substantial engagement without injury to the tire.

ln caster wheel structures, it is a common practice to mount same directly on the lo v or end of the leg or post of the article to be supported, ther-elw necessitating the tormation of the lower end oi? the leg or post to receive the stem ot the caster wheel or the housing thereot, and, furthermore, such a construction permits the caster wheel to project outwardly in some positions an undesirable distance at the side of the post or leg. In my construction, the caster wheel structure is ofl set laterally 'liroln the leg or post of the supported article so as to avoid the undesirable projection of the caster wheel at the outer side of the post or leg. and to simplify and facilitate the coinuaztion oi the caster wheel structure with the sup ported article. To this end the bearing 2 is provided at its lower end. with a lateral extension 26 tor which the flange 35 serves as a reinforcement, and a shank 27 extends upwardly fromthisextcnsion and is adapted to be secured in a socket or opening which is provided therefor in the lower end of the post or legto which the caster is to be attached. The present form of the invention is shown in connection with a bed 28 having square corner posts "29, and the shank 527 is of web-form comprising ilour radial flanges, the outer edges of which are adapted to engage respectively in the tour internal corners of the post 29 as shown in Fig; 3. This shank 27 is designed to lit snugly within the post so that it will be retained in place by frictional engagement when inserted and the extension 26 altords a shoulder 30 at the base 01 the shank against which the lower end of the post :29 abutts when the shank 27 is fully inserted in the post. The lower end ot the shank 27 may be made solid as shown at 31 in 1*" juncture of the shank with the extension and to reinforce theextreme lower edges of the post 29.

The shank 27 while shown l'l(3l.GlI"l as composed 0f tour radial flanges to tit within a square post will be otherwise constructed to lita post or socket of different form. and the housing 2 is usually positioned so that it projects inwardly under the supported article as shown in Fig. 1, so that the caster wheel does not swing outwardly an undesirable distance at the outer sides ot a supported article. i

The structure described is particularlv convenient in connection with corner posts of a square cross section as, the shank 2T tits in the post only in one of the tour necessary positions of adjustments, and is therefore readily attached in the proper position.

With this construction, it will be observed that the weight oi the supported article is carried entirely on the ball l7 (except when the flange or") is dropped down into engage ment with the tire l2) and this allords an ant-ifriction bearing to permit the caster to swing freely around its vertical axis.

The lever 15 is normally positioned as shown in Fig. l, so that the caster wheel is locked against IDOYQIIlCIlt. When it desired to mote the supported article, the lever 15 is thrown upwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. i, the lower eud of the lever being preferably out-turned as shown in Fig. l, so that it may be readily engaged by the foot to effect this operation, and when this lever is thrown u nvardly, a slight elevation ol the housing .2 occurs, thereby releasing the flange 25 from engagement with the caster wheel and permitting the caster wheel to turn freely on the sjiirulle 7 and the stem -'l to turn freely in the housing 2.

lVhile I have shown and described my in vention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modifications may he made without departing from the principles of my invention, the scope of which to be determined by the appointed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the con'ibination of a bearing member having a bearing socket and a slotted upper end,the slot and socket communicating with each other, a caster wheel bracket having a stem journaled to rotate in said socket and also to slide axially therein, a caster wheel journaled in said bracket and a flange extending from said bearing member and arranged to tangentially engage the periphery of said wheel upon axial movement of said stem in said bearing member, a cam pivotally mounted in said slotted upper end for impartingsaid axial movement to said stem, anti-friction means interposed between the upper end of said stem and said cam, said cam having a pair of seats, each of which is adapted to engage said anti-friction means in one of the extremities of its operative movement, and means for retaining said stem in said socket.

2. In a; device of the class described, the combination of a bearing member having a bearing socket and a slotted upper end, the slot and socket communicating with each other, a caster-wheel bracket having a stem journaled to rotate in said socket and also to slide axially therein, a caster wheel journaled in said bracket and a flange extend ing from said bearing member and arranged to tangentially engage the periphery of said lit) Wheel upon axial movement of said stem in said bearing member, a cam ,pivotally mounted in said slotted upper end for imparting said axial movement to said stem, anti-friction means interposed between the upper end oi said stem and said cam, said cam having a pair of seats, each of which is adapted to engage said anti-friction means in one of the extremities of its operative movement, and means for mounting the device in offset relation to a supporting post or leg of an article of furniture or the like.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supported article having a tubular leg or post, a member having a vertical extension inserted in the lower end of the tubular leg or post for securing said member thereto, an upwardly extending hearing on the member spaced laterally from said extension and located at the outer side of the post and divided and provided With a hall pocket at the upper end, a caster vertically swiveled in said bearing and having a stem engaging the ball in said pocket and a cam in the divided upper end of the up wardly extending bearing cooperating with the ball and caster to raise and lower the supported article.

l. The combination with an article having a supporting tubular leg or post of an angular cross section, of a caster mounting having an upwardly extending connector comprising a plurality of flanges having the outer extremities thereof engaged in the in- 'ternal corners of the leg or post, and a caster vertically swiveled 011 said mounting at the exterior of said post.

5. In a device of the class described, a vertical hearing member having a divided upper end, a caster wheel bracket having a stem journaled to rotate in said bearing, and also to slide axially therein, said stem having an annular groove intermediate its ends, a caster wheel pivoted in said bracket, a substantially horizontal flange integral With and extending from the lower end of said bearing member and adapted to engage the periphery of said wheel upon axial move ment of said stem in said bearing member, a cam lever pivotally mounted in said clivided upper end for imparting said axial.

movement to said stem, a ball interposed be-' tween the upper end of said stem and the cam portion of said cam lever, seat portions in said cam adapted to engage said ball at each extremity oi its operating movement, means tor retaining said stem in said. bearing comprising a pin secured in said bearing member and having a portion thereof projecting inwardly into said annular groove in said stem, and means for mounting said device in offset relation to the post or leg of an article having tubular posts or legs con'lprising a connector spaced laterally from said bearing member, and integrally connected thereto at its lower end, said co11- nector being adapted to be inserted into the lower end of said tubular post.

MATTHEW F. BAYER.

all) 

